The combination of strong winds, dry conditions, and warm temperatures increases the risk of wildfires, particularly in grassy or wooded areas.

Dry, gusty conditions in Northeastern Illinois led the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for the entire Chicago area Monday. Here's a breakdown of what it means.

A wind advisory and a fire weather watch were issued Monday for parts of the Chicago area, the National Weather Service said, with dry air and gusty winds of up to 50 miles-per-hour possible at times.

St. Louis and parts of Illinois face a cold start to the week, with NWS issuing advisories and temperatures dropping sharply.

Arctic cold gripped the entire Chicago area Tuesday morning, with "feels-like" temperatures near -30 degrees as extreme cold warnings and cold advisories swept across the region.

Trainings for Illinois residents looking to join the National Weather Service's severe storm spotter program will be held virtually for the first time this year. There will also be in-person Community Weather Preparedness training sessions.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued Cold Weather Advisories for the area through 3 pm on Tuesday. While it’s not the coldest air we’ve ever

A cold weather advisory was in effect Saturday to Monday across all of north and central Illinois. Wind chills in Chicago could hit minus 22 Sunday and minus 21 Monday. City officials are urged to expand capacity at warming centers and keep them open 24 hours.

The city of Collinsville has 16 new outdoor sirens and will be conducting tests on Friday ahead of severe weather season.

Dangerous cold and biting wind chills are expected across Central Illinois in the early part of the week, according to the National Weather Service at Lincoln. ❄️ Wind chills as low as 20 degrees below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin after just half an hour.

The National Weather Service issued two advisories from 6 p.m. Sunday to noon Monday, and from 9 p.m. Monday to noon Tuesday.

Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Jan. 28, according to the Tribune’s archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service,